Buffer for automobiles.



W. N. PAGKER.

BUFFER FOR AUTOMOBILES.

APPLICATION FILED APR.28,1913.

1,1@%A%3f; Patented July 21, 1914.

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WILLARD N. PACKER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THOMAS PELHAM LIDE, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

BUFFER non ao'roiaoi'srLns.

To all whom it may; concern:

Be it known that I, WILLARD N. PACKER, a citizen of the United States, residingat Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Buffer for Automobiles, of which the following is a specification.

The general object of the invention is to provide a buffer which shall be gainly in appearance, strong in construction and perfectly satisfactory in its bufiing action; but a more particular object is to provide a buffer of very. simple construction ,which shall be universally resilient in all directionssothat it will effectively resist shocks and blows impressed from any direction whatsoever. Though the buffer will protect the front of the automobile to which it is attached against collision of any sort, it is particularly effective in preventing damage from other automobiles that may back up onto the one equipped with the bufi'er.

As'will hereinafter bedeseribed, the construction of this buffer is admirably adapted to withstand the rolling action of the rear wheels of a backing automobile, and .this buffer'will not be damaged by the ordinary collisions thus occurring. 1

Other objects may appear in the following detail description, or by consideration 1 of the drawings.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

Figure 1 is a plan view showin a fragment of an automobile with the buffer attached thereto, Fig. 2 is an enlarged view showing a fragment of the automobile frame with the buffer attached thereto. The buffer is shown in section on lines m Figs. 1, 3 and 4. Fig. 3 is a front view of a fragment of the buffer as viewed from the line m, Fig. 2.

Specification of Letters latent.

Application filed April 28, 1913.

Fig. 4 is a fragmental view of a portion of the buffer as vlewed from llnes Patented Jnlly21l, 1914. Serial No. 764.2%.

shown as comprising two metal bands preferably made of springy steel and said bands glancing shocks in the direction of arrows.

11, and 12, Fig. 1. The ability of the buffer to stand up against shocks of all these 'varieties is madepossible because means 2 are universally resilient for all directions in which the shocks are encountered.

It is particularly pointed out that the U- shape of the bands 2 is relied u on to obtain resiliency to amply withstand t 1e shocks imposed upon itand at the same'time obtain sufficient lateral stiffness of the bands to prevent excessive twisting and lateral dcflectlon of the bands under sldewise shocks,

gnnd such stiffness could not be obtained by,

for instance, S-shaped bands,or by W-shaped bands.

Considering further the details of the construction actually shown, the buffer bar 1 is seen to be of angular section having the apex 13, Fig. 2, to the front. The dogs 7 are also shown as embracing the bu Ffer bar and as having the two leaves 14 and'15 extending backward from said bar from the upper and lower edges respectively thereof. In these leaves are cutthe elongated apertures 16 and the forward legs 5 of bands 2 pass through said apertures. A set screw 17 is threaded through the forward leg of each band, said set screw being adapted to abut the angular buffer bar from the rear and adjacent the apex thereof, as shown in Fig. 2. From the foregoing it will be obvious that as the set screw 17 is screwed through the threaded aperture .18 as in Fig.-

2, and against the apex of the angular buffer bar, the leg 5, dog 7 and buifer bar 1 will all be firmly bound together. It will also be seen that by loosening theset screw 17, the

dogs 7 may he slid along bar 1 and refas- -tencd at any oint, so that the buffer dezontal blow in the direction of arrow 9,

Fig. 2, the force would be imparted onto screw 17 and might strip the thr ads thereof past the threads in apertid e 18. To avoid injury of this sort, a nut 19 is screwed along screw 17 until it abuts leg 5, as shown in Fig. 2. With this provision the direct horizontal shock will be borne by" the nut 19 acting on leg 5, and the integrity of the threads on the screw and in aperture 18 will be preserved.

Turning now to means 3 for clamping the band 2 tov the automobile frame, said means are seen to comprise two side plates 20 and 21, Figs. 1, 2 and 4. Four bolts 22', 23, 24 and 25 pass through these plates, and of these bolts the first two are particularly adapted to bind the plates rigidly onto the rear leg Gof'band 2, while the latter two of said bolts are particularly adapted to bind the plates and the whole buffer to the automobile frame 4; The bolt 22 is seen to lie ahead of leg 6, while the bolt 23 lies behind said leg. These bolts are screwed down hard onto the plates 20 and 21 until saidplates bind leg 6 absolutely and firmly. With bolt 25 temporarily removed, the clamping means may then be placed on frame 4, as in Fig. 2. The bolt 25 is then put in position and bolts 24 and 25 are both set up hard so as to rigidly bind the clamping means of ,the whole buffer to said frame. With reference to the angular'section of the buffer bar, it is noticedthat shocks coming onto said bar,

- either in the direction of arrows 8 or of arrow 10, tend to glance off from the same and thereby greatly reduce the effect of said shock, and so tend to spare the remaining buffer parts and the automobile from injurious action. a I claim:

1. A buffer to be/attached to an automobile frame, said buffer comprising a buffer bar; universally resilient means for supporting said bar, said means comprising resilient U shaped metal bands, each of which bands has but twov legs both projecting downwardly one behind the other; dogs for connecting the forward legs of said bands to said buffer bar; and clamps for attaching the rearward legs of said bands to the automobile frame.

2. A buffer tobe attached to an automobile frame, said buffer comprising a buffer bar of angular-section, the apex of said angular section bein to the front; two dogs embracing said bu er bar, each of said dogs having two leaves extending backward from said .bar, said leaves having elongated apertures therein a U-shaped resilient metal band for If in a 001- each of said dogs, each of said bands having two legs, the forward of said legs passing through the two elongated apertures in the leaves of said dogs; a set-screw threaded through the forward leg of each of said bands between said apertures in the leaves of the dogs; said set-screw being "adapted to abut the angular buffer bar from the rear and adjacent the apex thereof; alock nut on each of said set-screws between the apex of said bufier bar and the forward leg of each band; and clamping means for each of said bands, said-clamping means being adapted to attach the rearward legs of said bands to the automobile frame.

3. A buffer bar, dogs embracing the buffer bar and provided with apertures; U springs having forward and rear legs which are in the apertures, said forward legs being provided with threaded apertures; bolts screwed through the threaded apertures and engaging the buffer bar, and means to fasten the rear legs to an automobile frame.

'4. A buffer bar, dogs embracing the buffer bar and provided with apertures, resilient members each having one of its ends located in the apertures of one of said dogs, said ends being provided with threaded apertures, bolts screwed throu h the threaded apertures and engaging t e bufier bar,

and means to fasten the other ends of said resilient means to an automobile frame.

5. A buffer to be attached to an automobile frame, said buifer comprising a buffer bar, resilient means for supporting said bar, said means comprising resilient metal bands each of said bands having two legs, a dog of channel cross-section and adapted to clamp said bar against one of said legs, and means for attaching the other leg to the automobile frame. r

6. A buffer bar, dogs embracing the bar and provided with apertures, springs having forward and rear legs, each of said forward legs being located in the apertures of one of said dogs, there being threaded apertures in said forward legs, bolts screwed throu h the threaded apertures and engaging the uifer bar, and means to fasten the rear legs to an automobile frame.

7 A buffer having resilient means to be attached to an ai tomobile frame, a bufi'er, bar, and means for connecting said bufi'er bar to said resilient means, said connecting means comprising plates each adapted to form an orifice with said resilient means to receive said bar,'and means to fasten. said bar; resilient metal bands for supporting said bar, said bands havingtwo downwardly projecting legs, one behind the other, means for connectin the forward legs of said bands to sai bufi'er bar; and clamping mere-4. g3

means,'or1e for each reerwmfl leg for at- Iirtestimeny whereefi I have hereunte set taching'the rearward legs to the automobile my, hand. at Les Angeles California this frame, eagh of said clamping means com- 22ddey of April 1913'.

prising two plates between which a rearward; WILLARD N. PACKER. 5 leg and a portion of the frame of the auto- In presence of-- mobile is clamped, and; bolts for drawing the JAMEs R. Towmmme,

' plates together. ROBERT A. Savers. 

